Rolling contact through stationary member to provide pressure for cutting stencil



March 7, 1967v R wl JACKSON 3,307,673

ROLLING CONTACT THROUGH STATIONARY MEMBER To PROVIDE PRESSURE FOR CUTTING STENCIL March 7, 1967 R. W. JACKSON 3,307,673

ROLLING CONTACT THROUGH STATIONARY MEMBER T0 PROVIDE PRESSURE FOR CUTTING STENCIL Original Filed Sept. 29, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 7,196.7

R. w. JACKSON 3,307,673 ROLLING CONTACT THROUGH STATIONARY MEMBER TO PROVIDE PRESSURE FOR CUTTING STENCIL Original Filed Sept. 29, 1964 4 SheetsSheet 5 MrCh 7, 1967 R. w. JACKSON ROLLING CONTACT THROUGH STATIONARY MEMBER TO PROVIDE PRESSURE FOR CUTTING STENCIL Original Filed Sept. 29, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent Oice 3,307,673 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 ROLLING CONTACT THROUGH STATIONARY MEMBER TO PROVIDE PRESSURE FOR CUTTING STENCIL Richard W. Jackson, Arlington Heights, Ill., assignor to Weber Marking Systems, Inc., a corporation of Illinois Continuation of application Ser. No. 400,258, Sept. 29, 1964. This application Apr. 8, 1966, Ser. No. 541,393 2 Claims. (Cl. 1976.4)

This invention relates to a new and improved rolling contact through a stationary member to provide pressure for cutting stencils. This application is a continuation of Serial No. 400,258, led September 29, 1964, and now abandoned. y

The present invention is concerned with the cutting of stencils and by this we mean the removal of stencil coatings from stencils which have an emulsion or wax-like coating over a porous tissue base. In order to cause letters or characters of any broad surface to be cut into a stencil it is necessary to exert tremendous pressures in a novel manner. ThisI removal of the emulsion coating by pressures must be done without damaging the porous tissue base which must be left unimpaired to uniformly expel ink therethrough in the subsequent reproduction of the cut stencil indici-a. Attention is directedto the copending application of the assignee of record in this application wherein the application of James R. Thomas, ySerial No. 274,570` discloses the utilization of high pressures by a roller mechanism in which succeeding line contacts are made with the stencil Iagainst a broad surfaced letter so that the cutting of the letter occurs by Ithese successive line contacts. The present invention is concerned with a novel improvement over that earlier mechanism. Because of the fragile character of s-tencils it has been found desirable to shield the stencil from a direct rolling pressure Contact.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel shielding means for the rolling pressure contact used in a stencil cutting machine.

An important object of `this invention is the provision of a spring steel strip disposed above a pressure roller so that longitudinal rolling movement of the roller will still exert successive line contacts on a stencil against a character to be cut therein without having direct relative rolling movement between the stencil and the pressure roller.

Another important object of this invention is to provide -a novel interposed shielding strip for the pressure applying roller of a stencil cutting machine in which the shielding strip is xedly anchored to the machine at one end at a position near one end-wise movement of the pressure roller and loosely guided against lateral shifting thereof at its other end adjacent the other end-wise movement of the pressure roller. y

Other and further important objects and advantages will be apparent from the disclosures in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

`In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the stencil cutting machine of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the stencil cutting machine of FIGURE 1 with the auxiliary frame swung away from its superposed position over the main frame as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal front to back sectional view taken through the stencil cutting machine of FIGURE l.

FIGURE 4 is a front elevational view of the device as shown in FIGURE l.

FIGURE 5 is a side elevational view of the stencil cutting machine of this invention opposite to that shown in FIG-URE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of the stencil cutting machine as shown in FIGURE 2 with the auxiliary frame in an outwardly swung position.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral 10 indicates generally a main frame or supporting structure which is preferably made as a metal casting. The frame 10 is substantially hollow in order to minimize the weight of the machine and to provide for a housing for the operating parts of the stencil cutting machine. The main frame 10 is provided with spaced apart front feet or table engaging pads 11 and 11a. Similarly the supporting structure 10 is provided with spaced apart rear feet or table engaging pads 12 and 12a so that the main frame is supported in a stable manner to permit the cutting of stencils thereon. The main frame 10 is provided with upper side edges 13 which act to receive a generally :dat horizontally disposed stencil receiving table 14. It is on this table that the stencil to be cut is placed.

The table 214 is arranged and constructed to be incre- -mentally adjusted longitudinally relative to the top 13 of the supporting structure 10. An aperture 14a is pro- `vided in a generally central portion of the table 14 for the purpose of permitting the application of substantial pressures upwardly through the table to engage the stencil and thereupon eiect a cutting thereof by reason of the stencil engaging type characters. The type characters will subsequently be described and shown to be arranged and positioned above the table aperture. The longitudinal incremental movement of the table 14 thus provides for the line spacing of the stencil as it is being cut with various indicia.

A stencil clamping means 15 is mounted on the forward edge vof the table 14 and is arranged and constructed to have transverse sliding movement therealong. The stencil clamping elements are shown at 15a and 15b. An edge of a stencil to be cut is placed between the gripping members 15a and 15b while the body portion of the stencil is adapted to extend rearwardly over the table 14. The clamping member 1 5 is arranged to be incrementally moved along the forward edge of the table 14 to thereupon obtain proper letter spacing for the stencil indicia.

The main frame or supporting structure 10 is provided with spaced apart hinge ears 16 and 16a which project generally upwardly at'the rear thereof. A hinge pin 17 is disposed generally transversely of the main frame 10 and passes through aligned apertures in the spaced apart hinge ears 16 and 16a. An auxiliary frame or supporting structure 18 is arranged and constructed to be hingedly mounted relative to the main frame 10 in such a manner that the auxiliary frame may be positioned in a superposed position over the mainframe as shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 4 and 5 or in an outwardly swung position such as shown in FIGURES 2 and 6. The auxiliary frame is provided with spaced apart rearwardly projecting ears 18a and 18b which are joined by a cross member 18C at their outer ends. The spaced apart ears 18a and 18b are provided with aligned apertures to permit the passage therethrough of the hinge pin 17 such as particularly shown in FIGURE 6. The ears 18a and 18b are adapted to lie between and in generally closely abutting relationship to the inner edges of the spaced apart ears 16 and 16a respectively which form a part of the base main frame lil. Thus the auxiliary frame 1S is hingedly mounted relative to the main frame about the hinge pin 17 so that as previously stated the auxiliary frarne may be disposed in either a position where it is in close superposition relative to the main frame or outwardly swung away from its position over the stencil receiving table on the main frame.

The auxiliary frame is adapted to carry a disc 19 on its underside. The outer periphery of the disc has ernbossed type characters 20 thereon such as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 6. A hand engaging knob 21 is provided at the top of the auxiliary frame 18 and by means of a set screw or pin 22 is adapted to be affixed to a generally vertically disposed spindle 23 on which the disc 19 is mounted for concurrent rotation. The spindle 23 is journally supported within a generally vertically disposed and elongated bushing 18d of the auxiliary frame 18. Thus the type carrying disc 19 may be manually rotated by an engagement of the hand knob 21 to thereupon place any yone of the type characters 20 in proper position to act as the means for cutting or removing the stencil coating in this machine. A generally centrally disposed block 18e is bolted to the auxiliary frame 18 as shown at 181c at the front center position of the auxiliary frame. It is beneath this block 18e that the selected type character 20 on the disc 19 must be placed in order to eect a stencil cutting in this machine.

The main frame 10 is provided with generally cylindrically shaped bosses 24 and 24a formed on both sides thereof as shown in FIGURE 6. These sleeve-like bosses are internally threaded. The auxiliary frame 18 is provided with similarly transversely spaced apart bosses 25 and 25a which are each provided with apertures arranged and constructed to lie in axial alignment with the internally threaded holes in the sleeves 24 and 24a on the main frame when the auxiliary frame is in superposed position over the stencil receiving table 14 of the main frame. Cap screws 26 and 26a are employed to pass through the apertures in the wing-like bosses 25 and 25a of the auxiliary frame 18 for threaded engagement with the internal threads in the sleeve-like bosses 24 and 24a of the main frame to thereupon rigidly hold the auxiliary frame in xed position relative to the main frame as it is shown in FIGURES 1, 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings. When it is desired to gain access to the type carrying disc 19 for replacement or servicing or to gain more ready access to the operating mechanisms of the device to be subsequently described, the cap yscrews 26 and 26a are removed and the auxiliary frame 18 swung upwardly and rearwardly such as shown in FIGURES 2 and 6. In this open position it is obvious that the movable type carrying mechanism may be entirely removed and replaced with different sizes or styles of type or may be merely cleaned or serviced as necessary. When the machine is again to be used in its stencil cutting function the auxiliary frame is swung downwardly about its hinge 17 and the cap screws 26 and 26a replaced. In this closed position the stencil may be cut. The cutting operation utilizes a back-up block or plate 18e to contain the pressure which is utilized to impress the stencil against the particular type character 20 to be cut in the stencil.

The device of this invention is operated by a lever 27 having a hand engaging knob or handle 28 such as shown in FIGURES 4 4and 6. The lever 27 is bent at right angles as shown in FIGURE 6 so that its right angle extension indicated by the numeral 29 constitutes a shaft which is journally supported in bushings 29a and 29b mounted respectively in the spaced apart ears 16 and 16a of the main frame at a position spaced forwardly of the hinge pin 17 and generally near the bottom of the main frame. Adjustable collars 29C are arranged on the shaft 29 to ank both sides of the wall member 16 whereby the shaft may be accurately adjusted within the frame.

As best shown in FIGURES 3 and 6 the shaft 29 has mounted thereon a lever 30 which in a non-actuating position is as shown in full lines in FIGURE 3. When the hand lever 27-f28 is pulled forwardly toward the stencil receiving table 1'4 the lever arm 30 is rocked 'to a position as shown in dashed lines in FIGURE 3 by reason of rotation of the shaft 29. An adjustable screw 30a is threadedly `carried by the crank 30 and is adapted to limit the throw of the hand lever 2'7-28. The screw 30a is arranged to engage a lug 30b formed integrally with the frame structure 10. Greater or lesser arcuate movement may be accomplis-hed by greater or lesser extensions of the end of the threaded set screw 30a. A link means 31 comprises spaced apart arm members 31a and 3r1b which are fastened by means of a cross pin 32 to the upper end of the lever arm '30. This link means 31 extends forwardly within the base housing 10 for ultimate connection to a pressure urging roller mechanism 33. The roller mechanism 33 includes an outer race member 33ao a plurality of anti-friction ball members 33b and an inner race or hub 33C as best shown in FIG- URE 6. The hub 313C is substantially wider than the outer race 33a and the extensions formed on both sides of the centrally located roller are utilized to cooperate with a cammed surface to cause a raising of the roller mechanism 33 for the purpose of applying pressures through the aperture @4a in the stencil receiving table 14 to cause stencil cutting in a manner to be subsequently described. The link members 31a and 31b are bent or ared outwardly intermediate their ends as shown at 31e and their forward ends 31d ank the outer sides of t-he hub 33e. A rivet or pin means 3'4 `fastens the link arms y31a and 31h to the hub 330. A rocking movement of the lever arm 30 from its full line position to the dashed line position as shown in FIGUIRE 3 will cause the roller mechanism 3f3 to move forwardly in the device of this invention.

The cam mechanism constitutes a generally U-shaped block member 3'5 with spaced apart track or rail members 35a and 35b. The rearward ends of the rails 35a and 35b have their top surfaces '35C inclined upwardly and forwardly whereupon t-he top surfaces are generally horizontally disposed as shown at 35d at their outer forward ends. rIt is upon these track-like surfaces 35a and 35h that the laterally extending hub portions 33C of the roller means 33 ride to cause the roller means through its outer race 33a to exert substantial pressures upwardly through the aperture @14a in the stencil holding table 14. The generally U-shaped block i315 with a base 35e is conrned by longitudinally spaced apart bosses 36 and 37 which form a part of the base housing 10. A bottom plate 3S is fastened to the longitudinally spaced boss members 36 and 37 by cap screws 39 and define a space 40 within which is carried a mechanism to ca-use accurate vertical adjustment of the block member 35 so that various thicknesses of stencil sheets may be accommodated and so that only the stencil coating is removed in the stencil cutting process without causing damage to the porous 'base tissue sheet of the stencil.

The chamber 40 includes a longitudinally adjustable lwedge block 411 the inclined top surface of which lies against the similarly inclined lower surfaces of the bottom 35e of the generally U-shaped block 35. These mating inclined surfaces provide the Wedge adjusting means for the micrometer-like vertical positioning of the block 3S. An elongated screw member 42 is threadedly engaged to and within the wedge block 41. As shown in FIGUR-E 3 the block 41 abuts the end boss 36 and thus has raised the blook 35 its maximum distance. The block 35 may be lowered by rotating the screw 42 and causing the wedge block 41 to move forwardly in the chamber -40 to thus permit the vblock 3S to drop. The

adjustment is preferably made by manually inserting a screw driver through an aperture 43 in the front skirt of the housing and into a screw slot 44 in the forward end of the elongated screw 42.

In the operation of the device of this invention a stencil 45 to be out is placed on the table 14. The clamp elements a and 15b are separated by depressing a handle 15e of the member 15a about a hinge 15d. A spring 15e is arranged about the hinge 15d in a manner to cause the jaws `15a and 15b to be urged together. An incrementally releasable ratchet mechanism 46 is disposed intermediate the table 1-4 and the clamping member 15 such that the clamping member may be adjustably moved transversely of the table 14. The stencil 45 extends 'beneath the block 18e of the auxiliary frame 1'8 and has individual type characters cut therein at that position. The desired letter is selected and then manually positioned beneath the block 18e by rotation of the hand knob 21. Now the hand lever 27-28 is swung forwardly causing the pressure roller to be cammed upwardly and thence longitudinally of the opening 14a. The roller causes the stencil sheet to be rolled against a selected letter on the disc 19 with the block 18e as the reactance member. In order that the selected letter 20 be centered in the stencil cutting location the disc 19 is locked in position by a locking pin 47 moving into engagement in socket apertures 47a in the disc 119 thereupon prohibiting rotation of the disc 19. The device is arranged to automatically 'lock during application of the stencil cutting pressures by the roller means 33. A second ratchet means 48 is mounted longitudinally of the base y10 beneath the table i14 so that upon completion of one line of stencil cutting indicia the entire table 14 may be longitudinally adjusted so that a uniformly spaced succeeding line may be cut.

A ribbon 49 may be utilized to absorb the emulsion coating of the stencil during its removal from a particular letter outline. The ribbon 49` may be incrementally advanced by means 50 in response to operation of the stencil cutting. IObviously with the hinged auxiliary frame of this construction the user may readily replace the type carrying disc 419 by'opening the auxiliary frame about its hinge -17 after rst removing the cap screws 26.

A thin spring metal strip 175 is attached by screws or the like 176 to the underside of t-he stencil carrying table 14 at substantially the center of the rear edge. The strip 175 is disposed longitudinally from front to back of the machine. The lateral disposition of the strip is determined by the positioning of the table opening 14a. The strip extends from its attachment in the rear at 176, forwardly and centrally of the opening 14a, and thence to a vertically disposed guide pin in the form of a screw 177. The screw 177 is threadedly engaged to the underside of the table 14 at its forward edge. A forwardly opening elongated notch 178 is provided in the forward end of the strip 175. The notch 178 denes spaced apart arms `178a and 178b which are adapted to il'ank the sides of the :guide pin `177. It should be understood the width of the notch 178 is slightly greater than the diameter of the guide pin 177 to permit free sliding of the ilanking arms 178a and 178b therepast.

The width of the strip -175 is substantially identical to the width of the outer race 33a of the roller 33. The strip thus acts as a sh-ield or insulator of the roller 33 in its application of pressure against the stencil to be cut. The particular mounting of the strip permits it to move -upwardly and downwardly following the travel of the roller 33 along its cam track 35 both longitudinally of the table opening 14a and vertically through the opening to engage a stencil to be cut. The shielding strip permits the continued cutting of letters. by a series of successive line contacts without the direct contact of the rolling pressure with the stencil. Stencils are Igenerally fragile -and the use of the shielding strip prevents crimping or tearing such as might occur on direct rolling pressure contact.

It should be understood the strip 175 may be made of any suitable material or arranged in the machine in any manner as long as it is disposed intermediate the roller 33 and the stencil 45 to be cut. In effect the strip 175 acts as a relatively stationary member between the stencil to be cut and the application of rolling pressure therebeneath.

AI am aware that numerous details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles disclosed herein and I therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a stencil cutting machine comprising, a -generally horizontally disposed stencil receiving table, said table having an aperture, means positioning selected type letters above said table over said aperture, a roller, means moving and guiding said roller upwardly and longitudinally of said aperture to cause the roller to exert substantial pressures upwardly through said aperture, a stencil carried on said table over said aperture, a relatively stationary shield disposed intermediate said roller and said stencil, and said roller and said relatively stationary shield positioned to exert successive line contacts upwardly and through said aperture and on said stencil against selected type letters to be cut in said stencil, whereby the roller provides the pressure for cutting the stencil against the selected type and the relatively stationary shield shields the roller from direct relative rolling movement against the stencil thereby preventing the stencil from being crimped or torn by the roller, said relatively stationary shield comprising an elongated spring metal strip rnember, said elongated spring metal strip member attached to the underside of the generally horizontally disposed stencil receiving table at substantially the rear edge thereof and disposed longitudinally from its Vattachment to the table forwardly and cent-rally of the table aperture thereof, said elongated spring metal strip member having a forwardly opening elongated notch in the forward end thereof dening spaced-apart arms, and a vertically disposed guide pin engaging the underside of the generally horizontally disposed table at the forward edge thereof, and said spaced-apa-rt arms flanking the sides of the vertically disposedguide pin for free sliding movement of the anking arms past the guide pin.

2. IIn a stencil cutting machine comprising, a generally horizontally disposed stencil receiving table, said table having an aperture, means positioning selected type letters yabove said table over said aperture, a roller, means moving and guiding said roller upwardly and longitudinally of said aperture to cause the roller to exert substantial pressures upwardly through said aperture, a stencil carried on said table over said aperture, a relatively stationary shield disposed intermediate said roller and said stencil, and said roller and said relatively stationary shield positioned to exert successive line contacts upwardly and through said aperture and on said stencil against selected type letters to be cut in said stencil, whereby the roller provides the pressure for cutting the stencil against the selected type and the relatively stationary shield shields the roller from direct relative rolling movement against the stencil thereby preventing the stencil from being crimped or torn by the roller, said relatively stationary shield comprising an elongated spirng metal strip member, said elongated spring metal strip member attached to the underside of the generally horizontally disposed stencil receiving table at substantially the rear ed-ge thereof and disposed longitudinally from its attachment to the table forwardly and centrally of the table aperture thereof, said elongated spring metal strip member and the underside of the generally lhorizontally disposed table having cooperative means adjacent the forward end thereof for loosely Iguiding said elongated spring metal strip member against lateral shifting thereof.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Moody 1976.4 Remnsnider 197-6.7 Dick 101-128-4 Remnsnider 197-6.7 Hand 197-6.4 Hasbrouck 197-6.4

8 Morsh 197-6.7

Lampson 197-64 Aaron lOl-128.4 X Hempel et a1 197-6.7 X Stubbman 197-6.7

ROBERT E. PULFR'EY, Primary Examiner.

E. S. BURR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A STENCIL CUTTING MACHINE COMPRISING, A GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY DISPOSED STENCIL RECEIVING TABLE, SAID TABLE HAVING AN APERTURE, MEANS POSITIONING SELECTED TYPE LETTERS ABOVE SAID TABLE OVER SAID APERTURE, A ROLLER, MEANS MOVING AND GUIDING SAID ROLLER UPWARDLY AND LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID APERTURE TO CAUSE THE ROLLER TO EXERT SUBSTANTIAL PRESSURES UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID APERTURE, A STENCIL CARRIED ON SAID TABLE OVER SAID APERTURE, A RELATIVELY STATIONARY SHIELD DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE SAID ROLLER AND SAID STENCIL, AND SAID ROLLER AND SAID RELATIVELY STATIONARY SHIELD POSITIONED TO EXERT SUCCESSIVE LINE CONTACTS UPWARDLY AND THROUGH SAID APERTURE AND ON SAID STENCIL AGAINST SELECTED TYPE LETTERS TO BE CUT IN SAID STENCIL, WHEREBY THE ROLLER PROVIDES THE PRESSURE FOR CUTTING THE STENCIL AGAINST THE SELECTED TYPE AND THE RELATIVELY STATIONARY SHIELD SHIELDS THE ROLLER FROM DIRECT RELATIVE ROLING MOVEMENT AGAINST THE STENCIL THEREBY PREVENTING THE STENCIL FROM BEING CRIMPED OR TORN BY THE ROLLER, SAID RELATIVELY STATIONARY 